On our street, there was a giant Eucalyptus. 

Its branches hung over the sidewalk. 

Many years ago, when my son was very young, I would carry him on my shoulders to his nursery school. 

We always had the same ritual. 

I would say “Did you say hello to the Eucalyptus?”

My son would extend his arm, barely managing to touch the lowest branch with his fingertips. 

As the months passed by, he grew and was able to give the Eucalyptus a hearty hello. 

Although decades have passed and my son is now much taller than I am, the story lived on, and every time we would walk along the sidewalk one of us would say “Did you say hello to the Eucalyptus?”

And the tree was always there. 

But last week, while driving down the street, I saw something that made me very sad. 

The tree had been cut into logs. Fallen branches were everywhere.

There were tears in my eyes.

I said my final “Goodbye” to the Eucalyptus. 

But suddenly, I looked around and saw our tree still standing!!!!

They had cut down an eucalyptus. 

But it was not OUR eucalyptus!